Everyone says managing up is a must-learn skill. It's too important to leave to chance. But almost nobody shows you how to actually do it. So here's how.
What this does: Your boss never gets surprised, never has to guess what you need, and starts describing you as "on top of it" and "easy to work with."
For: Managers who want to manage up without being political.
Time to implement: 15 minutes a day for 2 weeks.
If everything sounds urgent, nothing is urgent.
You have to train your boss how to read you. Every update you send is one of two things:
- FYI, no action needed.
- I need something from you.
If you don't label it, your boss has to figure it out. And they will guess wrong.
Use the same three labels every time. Put the label at the start of the message.
Six real situations. Grab the one you need right now.
FYI — No action needed: Acme is frustrated about the reporting issue. I talked to Sarah and Eng, we have a fix, and I'm replying now. I'll keep you posted if it escalates.
Why it works: you answered the four questions your boss would have had to ask. What happened? Is he aware? Does he have it? Will it escalate?
FYI — No action needed: SLA dropped from 96% to 87% this week. I pulled the data, driver is X. We've changed Y and are monitoring daily. Expect recovery next week. I'll flag if it doesn't.
Why it works: you didn't just report a problem. You found it, diagnosed it, and own the fix.
FYI — No action needed: flagging a mistake I made on the staffing report. It impacted headcount by 3. I've corrected it and added a check so it doesn't happen again.
Rule: tell them within 24 hours, before someone else does. No excuses.
Input needed: planning to respond to Acme with [this approach]. My take is [your take]. Any concerns before I send in the next hour?
Why it works: your boss knows this one requires a real response, not just a skim.
Decision needed: we have two options for coverage next week. A costs $X and does Y, B costs $Z and does Q. I recommend A because [reason]. Can you confirm by 2pm so I can lock it?
Why it works: you already did the comparison. All that's left is a yes.
FYI — For the leadership meeting: John stayed late 3 nights to get Acme back on track. Customer called him out by name. Big reason we retained them.
Why it works: you're helping your boss see people and outcomes they aren't close enough to see themselves.
Before you log off, ask two questions:
- Is there anything my boss would be uncomfortable learning from someone else first? If yes, send an FYI tonight.
- Is there anything I'm blocked on or need perspective on? If yes, send an Input or Decision request tonight.
Do that for 14 days.
If it's important enough that you'd be uncomfortable if your boss learned about it from someone else first, tell them first.